Nationality and Borders Act 2022

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 makes wide-ranging reforms to nationality, asylum and immigration control. It tightens British citizenship rules (including historical transmission, registration and naturalisation, with special provisions for Chagos Islanders) and creates new rules affecting stateless minors. In asylum and border policy it introduces expedited procedures, priority removal notices and potential removals to safe third countries, strengthens enforcement and penalties (including for carriers), and adds reforms on age assessments and protections for victims of modern slavery, plus related regulatory changes.

This Lords marshalled list (27 April 2022) sets out motions to be moved in consideration of Commons reasons on the Nationality and Borders Bill, including Lords amendments aimed at ensuring compatibility with the Refugee Convention and extending asylum‑seekers’ rights (notably to work) by changes to the Immigration Act 1971; the Commons’ reasons disagree, and Lords have proposed amendments in lieu, signalling ongoing cross‑benches negotiations.

These Lords’ amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill seek to ensure explicit compliance with the 1951 Refugee Convention (and the 1967 Protocol) and to provide interpretive provisions if needed, along with changes to allow asylum seekers and their adult dependants to work where asylum decisions are delayed. The Commons disagree, arguing Part 2 already complies with the Refugee Convention and that asylum seekers should not be allowed to work while claims are pending, leading to a sequence of in-lieu amendments and reasons.

This is a Lords marshalled list of motions for consideration of Commons reasons on Lords amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill. It records which Lords amendments the Commons disagree with and the amendments in lieu they propose, plus Lords’ amendments and amendments-in-lieu on topics such as deprivation of citizenship without notice with judicial oversight, Refugee Convention compliance, asylum-seeker work rights, changes to the Immigration Act 1971, safe third-state rules, refugee resettlement, and related safeguards. The document is procedural, outlining the forthcoming parliamentary debate rather than enacting new law.

This Lords amendment paper for HL Bill 148(a) lists motions to consider Commons reasons for disagreeing with Lords amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill and to propose in‑lieu amendments. It includes new provisions on refugee status and asylum rules—such as the burden of proof on the Secretary of State, allowances for transit or delays, and protections under the Refugee Convention and for children and family unity—across several clauses.

The Lords’ publication records a sequence of amendments to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, including a proposed new framework for deprivation of citizenship without notice with judicial oversight, and other changes to asylum and refugee policy. It covers provisions on Refugee Convention compliance, asylum entry rules (including work rights after processing delays), safe third‑state arrangements, and refugee resettlement targets. The Commons disagree with many amendments, giving reasons (notably asserting that the Act already complies with the Refugee Convention and that asylum seekers should not work while claims are pending) and offering amendments in lieu, illustrating a back‑and‑forth as the bill moves between the Lords and Commons.